Nearly Real World Current Events, 2007
December 2007 28th *The Georgeland government expresses shock and outrage at the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. In a statement to the press, Prime Minister Luke Macaulay calls the assassination "a cowardly and horrific act". Former Prime Minister and presidential candidate Campbell Rhodes, a personal friend of Mrs. Bhutto, loses his trademark composure in a televised speech when mentioning Mrs. Bhutto. *Saydneyan President Miranda Eaton joins world leaders in condemning the assassination of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. President Eaton labelled the attack as barbaric and cowardly and not the act of civilised people. Former President Marc Emerson said the world had lost an inspirational leader and great Women in Mrs Bhutto, whom he first met on a state visit to pakistan in 1995. 27th Airline pilots in Georgeland agree to return to work while negotiations over layoffs continue. 25th Respect for Diversity has been the key theme in President Eatons christmas address this year. In the annual broadcast the President also spoke about the sprit of giving and payed tribute to the thousands of Saydneyan military forces serving overseas. 20th Workers for Georgeland's largest airline, Air Georgeland announce a general strike after the airline's management announces that 20% of its staff will have their contracts terminated early. The strike, occurring less than a week before Christmas, is expected to cost the national economy hundreds of millions and inconvenience hundreds of thousands of people. The Transport minister, Lisa Chan, and Prime Minister Luke Macaulay have announced the government will mediate the dispute in an attempt to restore airline services quickly. 7th * Yensen: small island in the middle of a lake is attacked by yeti and defeats there army with the Yensen: small island in the middle of a lake navy. *Cylone Melissa hits the northern coast of Bradmarch after having been upgraded by Georgeland's meterological agency to a Category Five Cyclone. The northern Bradmarch township of Colhampton, with a population of 2,600, is hit by the full force of the cyclone, which is moving along the Bradmarch coast. *Residents of Sergiocitta are warned to prepare for the possibility of the cyclone hitting the city. *The cyclone is the largest and most violent ever to hit Georgeland. *At least six deaths are reported on Bradmarch's northern coasts, with no estimate yet on damage. However, damage is reported as 'severe' to 'catastrophic' by various sources, with several small towns completely flattened by the intense storm. *The storm moves away from the coastline and out to sea. Reports from across the island's northern coast describe horrific destruction, with almost fifty people presumed killed by the tropical storm and millions in property damages. The hardest hit towns are Colhampton and St. Thomas, which are almost totally destroyed by the storm. Winds of up to 200 kp/h are reported in some areas, and there is extensive flooding along the north-central coast. *President Charlotte Lang has declared the area a National Disaster Zone. 6th The northern coast of Bradmarch braces for the onslaught of Cyclone Melissa, a Category 4 tropical cyclone expected to hit the coast before noon on Friday. November 2007 25th Conservative Solomon Porter is declared the winner of the Georgeland by-election for the formerly safe seat of Church, vacated by Tom McCully. A very low turnout and high vote for the Georgeland National Front delivers the seat to the Tories with a more than fourteen percent swing against the Liberal Democrats. 23rd Georgeland's Assistant Treasurer, Senator Tony Billson, is dismissed from his junior ministry after he is photographed by a magazine giving money to several call girls. The event is the first major scandal to hit Georgeland's new Conservative government. Billson's place in the ministry will be taken by Senator Rachel McGann. 15th Saydneyan Foriegn Minister Claire St Marie has called for teh release of Pakistani dissidents, following the arrest of high profile political figure and former Pakistani sports star Imran Khan. Khan was arressted during the student protest. Councilor St Marie said that Saydney was strongly considering further diplomatic responses if Pakistans dictator Pervez Mushareff did not stand aside for democratic elections. 12th *Saydneyan Politics United Party High Councilor and treasury spokesperson Councilor Francis Graham has annouced his retirement aged 70. Councilor Graham was elected to the High Council in 1982 representing Genara. In 1987 Councilor Graham became Interior minister to President Julian Manslow. After the defeat of the Manslow administration Francis Graham lead the United Party nationally until his defeat by current leader Bridget France in a leadership challeneg shorly before the 2002 General Election. *Georgeland withdraws its ambassador to Pakistan and declares it will not continue to hold diplomatic relations with the country until President Pervez Musharraf steps down as head of the army and national elections have been held. 8th The Georgeland Alliance Mayor of Santa Christina, Lois Daniels, announces she will run to become the next President of Georgeland. 4th *Georgeland presidential election, 2008: The three declared Liberal Democrat candidates for President - Campbell Rhodes, Andrea Perkins and Matthew Buckley participate in a live debate via the internet, with questions put to them by YouTube users as well as journalists. 1st *The Treasurer of Georgeland, James Bradford, hands down the first Conservative budget since 1982 to the House of Commons. Among the measures in the budget are uniform 10% expenditure cuts across the administrative sectors of government within 5 years, a significant increase in defence spending, greater funding levels for law enforcement, including FISIA, and the defunding and abolition of the National Education Service. October 2007 29th The Anglican Primate of Georgeland, Simon Breville, Archbishop of New Kikipolis, resigns from his position following his diagnosis with colon cancer, his second bout with the disease. 26th *Georgeland presidential election, 2008 Campbell Rhodes ends months of speculation by announcing on television show Cryer Tonite that he will be a candidate for the Liberal Democratic nomination for President. 23rd *Georgeland presidential election, 2008 :Former Prime Minister Campbell Rhodes will appear on late-night television program Cryer Tonite on Friday night, with most commentators predicting he will announce his candidacy for President on the show. 17th Georgeland Supreme Court judge Thomas Seeyal suffers a serious heart attack. 12th Kyle Jonas, the former Conservative Chief Minister of Bradmarch (1993-2004) announces he is a candidate for the Conservative Party's nomination in the 2008 election for President of Georgeland. 11th Georgeland's Minister for Defence, Martin Higgins, announces that Georgeland will deploy 300 soldiers and support staff to Afghanistan in support of the U.S.-led effort against the Taliban. The leader of the country's opposition Liberal Democratic Party, Robin Sales, supports the decision as does the Georgeland Alliance, but the Greens oppose the move and call for a vote in Parliament on the deployment. 9th Former Georgeland Deputy Prime Minister Tom McCully resigns from the House of Commons, precipitating a by-election for his seat of Church in inner Doubledance. 4th The Georgeland government announces a round of diplomatic appointments, filling the seven vacancies now open in ambassadorial posts, following the resignations and recalls of ambassdors in July-September. *Admiral Ronald Wilson, the chief of the United Islands Navy, is appointed as the country's first Ambassador to Iraq since 1990, signalling a re-opening of diplomatic relations. *Career diplomat Paul Trafford, former head of the Foreign Office, will replace Campbell Rhodes as Ambassador to the United Nations (Marla Roche has been acting in this position since July). *Norman Langbroek, Professor of International Studies at the University of Mainland and author of a number of academic works on Europe, replaces Charlotte LeBeau as Ambassador to the European Union. *John Hinton is appointed as High Commissioner to Australia. *Simone Babbage is appointed as Ambassador to Japan. September 2007 29th Left-wing actor and activist Martin Harrod announces he is considering a campaign to run for President of Georgeland, probably as the Green Party's candidate. 20th While promoting his new book on TV program Cryer Tonite, Campbell Rhodes admits that an answer to the question of whether he intends to run for President of Georgeland can be expected "pretty soon". 18th Former Georgeland Prime Minister Campbell Rhodes releases his second book, Left Field, a combination manifesto and autobiography focusing on his early years and role in student politics. 16th Saydneyan Ambassador to Norman, former Vice-President Sarah Fitzgerald, has said she would convene an emergency meeting between the government and opposition political group following a week of rioting in the Capital Norman City. 10th Georgeland presidential election, 2008; *Two former Georgeland state Chief Ministers, Matthew Buckley of Capitalia and Leyton Douglas of Mainland (now West Mainland) announce they will seek the Liberal Democratic and Conservative nominations to become the next President of Georgeland. *Former Prime Minister and Georgeland Alliance leader Michael Elderton announces he will not be a candidate for President in 2008. 7th *Don Mendez is elected as the 19th Governor of Scoita, winning 43% of the vote. Mendez, a leftist Liberal Democrat, will be the first non-conservative Governor of the state since 1979. 5th *Riots break out in Norman City, Norman, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Ben Omonisk after he dismissed six local governors. *The former Deputy Prime Minister of Georgeland, Leonard Hand, dies in Topstad. August 2007 30th 2007 Collins Valley floods; *Georgeland's President, Charlotte Lang, authorises deployment of army and air force personnel to the disaster-struck region to assist with evacuation, cleanup and disaster relief. 28th 2007 Collins Valley floods; *Georgeland's federal government announces a $400 million rescue package for the flood-stricken Collins Valley region, as torrential rains continue to hamper rescue efforts. The death toll has now been revised to seven. *Large-scale evacuations take place in and around the city of Skelton, which has more than 40,000 residents. 27th The Collins River in Georgeland bursts its banks owing to heavy rains. Severe flooding has occurred in the Collins Valley area of the state of West Mainland, with the city of Skelton at the centre of the disaster. Four deaths have been reported, with a damages bill estimated at ninety million dollars and growing. The federal government has declared the area a national disaster zone, while the state government declares a state of emergency in the region. Heavy rains are expected in the region for another two to three days at the least. 21st *The Georgeland Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Stephen Hamer, announces that six of Georgeland's ambassadors, including the Ambassador to the European Union, Charlotte LeBeau, and the High Commissioner to Australia, have been removed as part of a "renewal" of the diplomatic corps. All but two of the dismissed diplomats have ties with the opposition Liberal Democrats and were appointed by that party in government. *Former Deputy Prime Minister of Georgeland Andrea Perkins confirms her candidacy in the Georgeland presidential election, 2008. She is now the front-runner both for the Liberal Democratic nomination and for the presidency itself. 17th Saydneyan President Miranda Eaton has annouced that she will raise concerns with Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Australias intention to sell Uranium to India at the upcoming APEC summit. Australia's offer to sell Uranium to India falls outside of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty outside the provision of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. President Eaton said that Saydney was uniquly placed to speak about nuclear proliferation given that Saydney has recently disarmed its nuclear weapons capability. 14th * Joan Staley is elected as the new Speaker of the Georgeland House of Commons. She is the first Conservative speaker in 12 years and the third woman to hold the position. Senator Eric Johns is elected as President of the Georgeland Senate, also the first Conservative in the post for 12 years. 13th * The Parliament of Georgeland sits for the first time since the recent election which elected the country's Conservatives to office. President Charlotte Lang reads the opening speech outlining the government's sweeping reform agenda, including legislation to alter the manner of judicial appointments, tax cuts, workplace reform, the abolition of the National Education Service, NHS reforms, and a national climate change strategy. * The Chief Minister of Bradmarch, Owen Canderwell, announces he will step down as Chief Minister following a mild heart attack last week. His replacement will be elected on Friday and is expected to be Shannon DeVere. 10th Robin Sales is elected to the Georgeland House of Commons, having resigned from the Senate on July 13th. Sales wins the seat of Peterson, previously held by former Prime Minister Zoe Parker. Sales achieves a weak personal vote in the seat, and the formerly safe Liberal Democrat seat becomes marginal. Sales will now become the official Leader of the Opposition. He is the first person to have led a major political party from outside Parliament, as he was not a member of either house for nearly a month. July 2007 27th The East mainland legislature selects Lin Tso to replace Robin Sales in the Senate, Sales having resigned on the 13th to contest the by-election for the seat of Peterson. Tso, 24, becomes the youngest member of the Senate, the youngest woman ever to serve in the Senate and the first female Senator of an Asian background. 21st *Two weeks after taking office, the new government of Georgeland announces a bill, the Judiciary Reform Act, to have federal judges undergo screening and selection processes by committees of Parliament and a special Judicial Commission. In the past, all federal judges have been appointed by the President acting on the advice of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. *The Saydneyan government has annouced that it will be introducing legislation next month making French the third offcial language of the country. French which is spoken by almost 20 million Saydneyans and has long been recognised by the government as a quasi-offcial language, but the new legislation will mandate its use in all offcial documents and government signage. The Legislation will also mean that French Saydneyan parliamentarians will be allowed to speak French in the parliament and at government events. French will also be a mandated language at all Saydneyan schools. President Eaton, herself a french saydneyan, said the bill was longover due. The bill is expected to pass easily however elements of the United Party are expected to call on the government to allow state governments to determine the amount of secondary language education recieved in schools. 12th *Former Prime Minister of Georgeland Zoe Parker announces she will stand down from Parliament immediately. This will force a by-election in her seat of Peterson, which new Liberal Democratic leader Robin Sales will contest to attempt to enter the House of Commons. Parker will take up an apppointment to the board of property investors Wilton Hammerley. 7th *Senator Robin Sales is elected as the next leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of the United Islands, defeating Andrea Perkins. As Sales is not a member of the House of Commons, he will not become Leader of the Opposition, and the role will be filled by Lawrence Porter until Sales enters the House of Commons. 6th *Luke Macaulay is sworn in as Georgeland's 26th Prime Minister by President Charlotte Lang. *Saydneyan President Miranda Eaton congratulated the newly elected Prime Minister saying that she looked forward to meeting with the new Prime Minister and working with his administration. 5th A day before his swearing-in, Georgeland's Prime Minister-elect, Luke Macaulay, announces details of his Cabinet: *Martin Higgins will be Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, but the Department of the Deputy Prime Minister will be abolished. *James Bradford will be Treasurer. *Mary Byrne will be Minister for Home Affairs. *Stephen Hamer will be Foreign Minister and Leader of the Government in the Senate. *Michael Armstrong, former Capitalian Tory leader and recently elected to the House, will be Minister for the Environment. Another former state Tory leader, Jennifer Duggan-Wright, will be a junior minister to Armstrong as Minister for Climate Change. *Bob Prior will be Minister for the Arts and Leader of the House of Commons. *Madeline Woods will be Minister for Sport and Youth; at 30, she will be the youngest person ever to be a federal minister. *Bob Kane will be Chief Government Whip. *John Sutherland will be Minister for Finance, and take on an additional role as Chairman of the Parliamentary Conservative Party. 4th *Campbell Rhodes resigns as Georgeland's ambassador to the United Nations, citing differences with the incoming administration and declaring that he would "rather resign than be fired." 3rd *Conservative Gary Trent is declared the winner of the 2007 mayoral election for Georgeland's capital city of Topstad. Trent wins just over a third of the primary vote but defeats Liberal Democrat David Collins 54%-46% after preferences are distributed from several high-polling minor candidates. Trent will become Mayor on July 14. 2nd *Andrea Perkins, former Deputy Prime Minister of Georgeland and 2005 leadership candidate, announces she will seek to become the next leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of the United Islands. 1st *'Georgeland legislative election, 2007': **Zoe Parker officially announces her resignation as leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of the United Islands, but stops short of resigning from Parliament. She will continue as Prime Minister until Luke Macaulay takes office. Michael Boyle will become interim party leader until the party formally elects a new leader. **As counting continues, four Commons seats are in doubt. In the seat of Exeter, former Cabinet minister and LDP powerbroker Patricia Gibson is leading her opponent by only 73 votes. **A referendum to insert a clause into the Constitution of Georgeland passes by 83% in favour to 17% against. June 2007 30th *'Georgeland legislative election, 2007': **Luke Macaulay is elected the 26th Prime Minister of Georgeland, with election results showing a Conservative majority of between fifteen and thirty seats in the House of Commons and a multiparty Senate. **Incumbent Prime Minister Zoe Parker concedes defeat to Mr. Macaulay at around midnight among her supporters. **In his victory speech, Macaulay thanks voters for their trust and says "I will not let that trust be misplaced." **Michael Elderton and Christine Hinkle are elected for the Georgeland Alliance to the House of Commons, though Hinkle wins by less than 100 votes. **Greg Downes is elected to the Senate for the Greens, along with Independent Sandra Wood. Counting indicates it is likely the far-right Georgeland National Front will also win a Senate seat. 29th *'Georgeland legislative election, 2007' On the final day of campaigning, the leaders of all major and some minor parties make one-minute televised addresses on live TV throughout the evening broadcast on all free-to-air channels. Luke Macaulay repeats his "time's up" mantra, which the Conservatives had used in campaign ads in the final week. Zoe Parker urges voters not to trust Macaulay to govern effectively and moderately. Michael Elderton argues the need for a consensus-based approach to government and Greg Downes talks about climate change issues. The polls will open at 8:00 am tomorrow morning on the west coast, and one hour later on the east coast. 27th *'Georgeland legislative election, 2007' **Prime Minister Zoe Parker confirms in an interview with GBC radio that she will resign as Liberal Democratic leader if she loses the election and will not serve as Leader of the Opposition. **New polls indicate the Conservatives with a narrow lead over the LDP in the final week of the campaign, with most bookmakers still showing Luke Macaulay as the favourite to win. 22nd *'Georgeland legislative election, 2007' Zoe Parker and Luke Macaulay participate in the election's only debate, live on GBC television from the University of Topstad. Immediate post-debate polling shows 59% of the audience believed Macaulay the winner. Macaulay creates a minor stir by his blunt message to Parker at the debate's conclusion, quoting Bob Dylan's The Times They Are A Changin' (song) and announcing "Time's up." 20th Doubledance FC defeat Lylecity FC to win the 98th Georgeland Cup. It is Doubledance FC's fifth cup win and it's first since 1990. Runners-up Lylecity had not previously played in a cup final since 1981. The cup final is the first since 2003 not to involve Santa Christina United and only the third in a decade not to involve Georgeland's most well-known club. 14th Luke Macaulay, leader of Georgeland's opposition Conservative Party, announces he will meet the Dalai Lama when he arrives in Georgeland next week. The Chinese embassy issues an official protest against the meeting, and warns Prime Minister Zoe Parker not to meet with the Tibetan spiritual leader. 12th *'Georgeland legislative election, 2007' Both Prime Minister Zoe Parker and Opposition Leader Luke Macaulay announce their plan for long-term economic growth; the Liberal Democrats promise measures to increase foreign investment and deregulation of certain industries, while the Conservatives promise a universal tax cut and reforms to industrial relations. 11th Georgeland Alliance leader Michael Elderton announces a legal challenge against his exclusion for the televised debate between Luke Macaulay and Zoe Parker, scheduled to air on GBC Television on June 22. 4th Melanie Emerson, the wife of former Saydneyan President Marc Emerson, has annouced she will contest the upcoming 2008 SDC primaries for congressional seat of North Bay, in Candarra. If succsessful Mrs. Emerson will contest the seat in the 2010 Federal election. Mrs. Emerson said she had considered entering politics for a long time, but was committed to support her husband. Mrs Emerson said "Now that Marc has retired, i think it is time to step forward." If elected in 2010, Melanie Emerson will be 40 years old. Full Story Here. 2nd *'Georgeland legislative election, 2007' **A new poll shows the Liberal Democratic government under Zoe Parker closing the gap between themselves and the opposition Conservatives. The Gallup poll shows the Tories leading the LDP 55% to 45% on a two-party basis, down three percent from the date the election was called. May 2007 28th *'Georgeland legislative election, 2007' **Incumbent Treasurer of Georgeland Xavier McLaren makes a gaffe when interviewed on morning television. McLaren makes an announcement relating to agovernment superannuation scheme; the scheme had previously been rejected by a Cabinet committee. McLaren's gaffe prompts his Opposition counterpart, James Bradford, to attack the government as disunited and economically incompetent. 24th *'Georgeland legislative election, 2007' **The Conservatives release their defence policy, which includes a $3 billion upgrade to the country's Air Force and an overhaul of defence administration. 21st *'Georgeland legislative election, 2007' **Federal Arts minister Amanda Keogh announces that a re-elected Liberal Democrat government will extend the artistic grants scheme to cover more varieties of artform, including but not limited to rock and pop music, abstract or alternative art and artistic-based and community websites. **Conservative leader Luke Macaulay re-affirms his party's committment to balance the federal budget, and announces a plan for outsourcing of a number of government services and the abolition of a number of autonomous government agencies. 18th The Georgeland Senate rejects the government's "mini-budget" by a vote of 40 votes to 38 (two Senators did not vote). Prime Minister Zoe Parker meets President Charlotte Lang at 6pm and formally requests a double dissolution and general election for both houses of Parliament, to be held on June 30. 15th The Georgeland government's "mini-budget", handed down last month and featuring a controversial civic works program, is re-introduced into the House of Commons after having been defeated in the Senate on April 30. The bill is expected to pass the Commons, but indications are that the Senate will again block the bill when it votes on Friday, May 18th. In that event, Prime Minister Zoe Parker has declared she would very likely seek a double dissolution and call a general election. 14th The Georgeland Cricket Council, Georgeland's cricket governing body, declares it will not be participating in cricket matches against Zimbabwe for an indefinite period, in protest of that nation's continuing human rights abuses. April 2007 30th The Georgeland Senate rejects the government's "mini-budget" by 40 votes to 39, when Georgeland Alliance Senators vote to block the legislation. Prime Minister Zoe Parker declares she is prepared to negotiate for the passage of the bills, but warns that she will call a double dissolution if the bills are not passed when they re-enter the Senate in late May. 27th Georgeland's House of Commons passes the Treasurer's "mini-budget". The bills will now move to the Senate, where the government does not have the numbers to secure passage. The Georgeland Alliance, which controls the balance of power in the Upper House, is yet to announce if it supports the mini-budget. 25th Georgeland's Treasurer, Xavier McLaren, unveils a $14 billion "mini-budget" in the House of Commons, pledging $2 billion dollars to fight climate change, a further $4 billion in defence funding and $3 billion dollars for extensive redevelopment of intrastructure in urban areas. The opposition Conservatives attack the mini-budget as "pork barrelling" and indicate they will block it in the Senate. 21st The Conservative Party of Georgeland leader in Long Island, Jennifer Duggan-Wright, is confirmed as the official Conservative candidate for the key marginal seat of Wilkes, currently held by Liberal Democrat Holly Ellington, at the forthcoming election. 18th 59 people are killed and more than 40 injured after a public bus in Topstad's south crashes into a semi-trailer after failing to stop at red lights. The incident is the deadliest road accident in Georgeland's history. President Charlotte Lang proclaims a national day of mourning and orders all flags flown at half-mast in sympathy for the victims. 13th Georgeland's Treasurer, Xavier McLaren, announces that on April 25 he will hand down a "mini-budget" consisting of a number of redistribution bills, in what is seen as an attempt to reestablish government cohesion in light of Christine Hinkle's defection and the upcoming election. 9th A week after announcing she was quitting the Liberal Democrats and sitting as an Independent, former Georgeland cabinet minister Christine Hinkle announces she is joining the Georgeland Alliance. 4th The President of Norman, Dr. Obser Tamis, dies of a heart attack and is replaced temporarily by Adaran Yato pending new elections. 2nd Maverick Liberal Democrat MP Christine Hinkle, who resigned from Cabinet in January, announces she is leaving the party to sit as an Independent MP. 1st Former Prime Minister of Georgeland Campbell Rhodes participates in an elaborate April Fools prank in which the Georgeland Broadcasting Corporation widely reports that the government of Delmago Island has voted to secede from Georgeland and that a civil war is looming. Rhodes even makes a televised appearance in which he urges a 'peaceful solution', and a detachment of Georgeland troops are filmed "occupying" certain government buildings in Georgetown. March 2007 27th The Parliamentary Reform Act 2007 is passed unanimously by the Georgeland House of Commons, creating fixed terms for that House in future, with the next election date fixed at August 3, the first Friday in August. If the bill is passed by the Senate, the first Friday in August every three years will be the permanent date for future elections. A constitutional amendment will be put to referendum at the election to entrench the practice into the constitution. The Georgeland Senate will vote on the bill on Friday. It is expected to pass because all parties have agreed to it. The bill becomes the first parliamentary legislation to pass the House of Commons unanimously since 1964. Scoitan Chief Minister Brad Zimmerman expresses his opposition to the proposed double dissolution in August, and declares he will withhold that consent on behalf of the Governor of Scoita. 14th Michael Boyle is announced as the new Deputy Prime Minister of Georgeland, replacing Tom McCully, who was dismissed after decieving Parliament concerning local government funding allocation. Boyle, the Minister for Social Security, will officially take office on Monday, 19th March, and his successor in his current job will be named by the weekend. 13th *Saydneyan President Miranda Eaton had today called upon zimbabwean dictor Robert Mugabe to release Zimbabwean opposition leaders, following a crack down on pro-democracy groups. President Eaton also said that the world was watching Mr Mugabe and how he would be treating those he had detained, the President said that "Mr Mugabe, must release those prisoners and must release with out delay and with no further harm" *The Deputy Prime Minister of Georgeland, Tom McCully, is dismissed from Cabinet after he admitted deceiving the House of Commons over his department's dealings with local government. An enquiry is underway to determine if the redistricting of some local government districts was influenced by political favoritism. McCully had told the House on February 25 that he had not signed a letter authorising over-allocation of resources to a Liberal Democratic council in Scoita; it has now been revealed that he had. After initially standing by him, Prime Minister Zoe Parker has announced Mr. McCully's removal from Cabinet. 9th Delmago Island legislative election, 2007: *Polling booths open, with early exit polls (as of 10am GEST) indicate a surge of support for the Georgeland Alliance and the National Front at the expense of the Liberal Democrats and governing Conservatives. *After voting concludes, the predicted gains by the National Front and Alliance do not eventuate. Only one sitting legislator is actually defeated, the Alliance's Ade Leach, who loses by a single vote to Liberal Democrat Yasmin Foley. The new legislature is therefore 6 seats to each of the major parties and one Georgeland Alliance member, Speaker Colin Brennan, holding the Balance of Power. Brennan announces he will initially support the Conservative government of Daniel Mahoney remaining in power, but places the government "on notice". 8th Brad Zimmerman is elected by his state's Conservative Party to become the 21st Chief Minister of Scoita. He replaces Mick Pearson, who is running to become the next Governor of Scoita. Zimmerman is the first Jewish Chief Minister in the country's history. His deputy Chief Minister is Paula Galvin, who becomes the highest-ranking woman in the history of the state. 5th Saydneyan President Miranda Eaton annouces that Saydney will be sending 2500 troops to help secure Afghanistan. President Eaton said the troop deployment recommitted Saydney to the region and to the promise to assist Afghanistan in search for peace and stability. February 2007 28th Adam St. John is named to replace Dr. Hinkle as the Georgeland Finance minister. St. John's promotion into Cabinet from the junior Immigration portfolio is seen as a meteroric rise, as he was appointed Immigration minister only in 2006. Jon See replaces St. John in Immigration, and Candice Healy replaces See as the new Finance Minister's Parliamentary Secretary. 27th *Christine Hinkle, a key member of the Georgeland Cabinet and Minister for Finance, resigns after apparent conflict with Prime Minister Zoe Parker and with other cabinet colleagues. 22nd *The government of Linari confirms King Kwate II was killed in the initial coup attempt by Edward Otanga but that his death was kept secret to avoid public panic. The country is now officially in mourning. *Mwandi III becomes King of Linari, though an official coronation will not take place for some months. 21st 2007 Linari coup attempt: *Georgeland forces consolidate their control over parts of Abodu, while military forces remaining loyal to the government drive forces under the control of Edward Otanga away from the capital region. *There are reports the 32 hostages taken by Otanga's forces are being held at a secure location deep in the jungle, and that several of them have been executed. *With King Kwate II still missing, Crown Prince Mwandi, returns to Abodu after seeking refuge in neighbouring Tanzania and takes personal command of the country's armed forces. *The Linarin government confirms that Milton Swambe has been killed, shot by Otanga's soldiers (some reports indicate Swambe may have been personally killed by the rebel leader). Photos of Swambe's body are shown on state TV. *George Tanobudu is appointed as interim Prime Minister of Linari. *Georgeland Prime Minister Zoe Parker announces to the House of Commons that a full-scale deployment of more than 2,000 ground forces and an Air Force detachment to Linari pending a formal international peacekeeping agreement. *African Union John Kufuor supports Georgeland's calls for a pan-African peacekeeping force in Linari, but condemns Georgeland's deployment plans as 'unwise'. *U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says Georgeland has a right to defend itself, but stops short of giving U.S. support to the deployment. She also backs calls for an African Union peacekeeping force. 20th 2007 Linari coup attempt: *Linarin Prime Minister Milton Swambe is placed under arrest by police and charged with corruption. Police forces loyal to the government have been unable to return Swambe to a safe haven. *First Deputy Prime Minister George Tanobudu assumes control of the government and orders all loyal Linarin military forces to protect key government assets. *Another six people are killed in mob violence in Abodu and Tongoville. *Reports that ethnic violence has broken out between the Okandu and Araye tribes are played down by Linarin media. *King Kwate II is rumoured to have fled to neighbouring Zambia, which the Zambian government denies. *The Georgeland government refuses to answer questions as to whether a military operation against Otanga's forces in support of the Swambe administration is underway. Le Monde reports on its website that officials on Reunion Island have refused permission to use the island as a base from which to launch any military incursion into Linari. *Georgeland forces attack Otanga's troops and drop into the centre of Abodu in an effort described as 'peacekeeping'. Twenty-seven Georgeland soldiers are killed in the landing. *CNN reports the hostages taken at the Embassy and at the parliament building are no longer in Abodu and have been moved to a rebel camp in the jungle. *Rumours emerge that King Kwate was in fact killed in Otanga's assault on the palace and that his son, Prince Mwandi, has taken refuge in Tanzania. 19th 2007 Linari coup attempt: *A force of more than 1,000 soldiers loyal to Colonel Edward Otanga has attacked the capital of Linari, Abodu, and stormed the Parliament building, taking 11 MPs hostage including the country's Finance minister. The same force has attempted to storm the palace of King Kwate II but have been repelled temporarily by loyal forces. Colonel Otanga has declared his intent to overthrow the monarchy in a coup. Fears of a civil war are increasing. *Prime Minister Milton Swambe takes refuge inside the Georgeland embassy after Otanga's forces attempt to place him under house arrest. *Fierce fighting breaks out in the streets of Abodu, with at least 15 killed in clashes between anti-government forces and soldiers. *Otanga demands the Georgeland government hand over Swambe or his troops will swarm the embassy. Georgeland's Prime Minister, Zoe Parker, says that Swambe is beign protected as the democratically elected leader of his country. *Forces loyal to Edward Otanga attack the Georgeland embassy before the ambassadorial staff and their families are evacuated. The helicopter designated to carry Swambe and the diplomatic staff out of the capital is shot down by Otanga's troops. *The Georgeland Embassy in Abodu is captured by Otanga's forces. Prime Minister Swambe is placed under arrest and Ambassador Geoff Proctor taking hostage. Otanga gives Georgeland twenty-four hours to withdraw all its forces from the country and abandon its mining operations in the country's north-east, threatening to execute his hostages if the government attempts to retake its embassy. *Prime Minister Zoe Parker addresses the Georgeand people in a live telecast, in which she pledges never to surrender to the demands of terrorists, and continues to express support for the Swambe government. 10th The governing Liberal Democratic Party of the United Islands retains the two vacant seats in the Georgeland House of Commons at by-elections. Turner is won handily by Abigail Jupitus, but the formerly safe seat of Cheltenham is retained only narrowly by Mark Offberg, who suffers a swing of nearly 8% against him and rendering the seat a key marginal at the upcoming general election. 2nd The Globe and Standard reports that Prime Minister Zoe Parker, while a student at the University of Doubledance in 1981, had an illegal abortion performed at an underground "shadow clinic". Abortion was not legalised in Mainland until 1985. January 2007 29th The 2007 session of the Parliament of Georgeland opens in Topstad. President Charlotte Lang makes her annual address outlining the government's agenda, which includes a proposal to introduce fixed terms for Parliament. The speech also confirms that the next election will be held "in the latter half of 2007", and not in early 2008 as had been predicted. For full text of the President's speech, see President of Georgeland's Speech to Joint Session of Parliament, January 29 2007. 23rd Former President of Georgeland Susan O'Byrne, who died on January 18th, is buried at the St. Patrick's cathedral in Emilypolis in a state funeral attended by seven heads of state, nine heads of government, five members of royal families and the United States Vice President. 22nd The Chief Minister of East Mainland, Lucien Hagerty, and his deputy Georgia Cobar of the Georgeland Alliance, announce that the state's next election, due in 2010, will be held under a system of proportional representation, making the state the fourth in Georgeland to abandon the widely criticised first-past-the-post voting system. The leader of the opposition Liberal Democrats in that state, Gillian Sopwith, says the issue should be put to a referendum. Such a referendum was defeated in West Mainland in 2006. 18th Georgeland is in mourning after the unexpected death overnight of popular former President Susan O'Byrne, who died after a short cancer-related illness on which her family have refused to elaborate. O'Byrne had been sick since November but her condition hidden from the press. O'Byrne was President of Georgeland from 1999 until 2003, and for her period in office enjoyed very high approval ratings. She was Georgeland's first woman President. President O'Byrne's funeral will be held on January 22, and will be attended by the incumbent President, Charlotte Lang, former Presidents Thomas Andrews and Hank Reynolds, current Prime Minister Zoe Parker and her predecessors Eric Edge], Michael Fisch, Michael Elderton and Campbell Rhodes, as well as dignitaries from dozens of other countries. Rumours are already circulating that Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, Marc Emerson and Nelson Mandela are making arrangements to attend the funeral. 9th Michael Fisch, a former Conservative politician who was Prime Minister of Georgeland for three weeks in 1999, announces he will seek his party's candidacy to become the next President of Georgeland. 5th Tony Rouse, a backbench Liberal Democrat member of the Georgeland House of Commons is killed in Sergiocitta in the early hours of the morning after leaving a bar in the central business district. Early reports suggest Rouse may have been mugged; the police are yet to name any suspects. Rouse's death leaves two seats vacant in the House of Commons. Tony Rouse was 46 years old and is survived by his wife Amelia and their two children. 2nd Opinion polling for the Delmago Island state election in March indicates the far-right Georgeland National Front could potentially win up to three seats in the state's 13-seat legislature. Category:Events Category:Nearly Real World Category:Timelines